Liquid-fuel-feeding apparatus.



W. JAY. LIQUID FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION TIL-ED AUG. 31, 1914.

1,125,549. Patented Jan.19,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. JAY. LIQUID FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION I"ILBD AUG. 31,1:914. I 1, 1 25,549, Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

I 2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

mOE/MOJ.

WEBB JAY, or CHICAGO, ILLrnoIs.

LIQUID-FUEL-FEEDING APPARATUS.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, was.

Application filed August 31, 1914. Serial No. 859,312.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WEBB JAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Fuel-Feeding Apparatus, of which the following is a Specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to the type of liquid fuel feeding apparatus described in my pending application Ser. No. 820,742, filed February 24, 1914, and is particularly concerned with detail modifications and improvements in construction, as hereinafter described and shown in the drawings and indicated by the claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of my apparatus indicating its ap, plication to amotor vehicle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of my auxiliary supply tank. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig.

4 is a top plan view of a modification. Fig.

5 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 5'5 qnFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail section of a modified construction alternative with that shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail sectiofi of the form shown in Fig. 6, taken at the same plane as Fig. 6, through the opposite side of the device at the upper corner thereof. y i

It should be understood that my apparatus consists briefly in an auxiliary tank, 1, having communication with the main storage or supply tank, 2, which is positioned at a lower level, and also having communication with means for reducing the pressure ,within the auxiliary tank; as shown, the

latter' consists in .a pipe, 3, leading to the intake manifold, 4, of an explosive motor, 5, whereby the suction of the motor is utilized to create a reduction of pressure in the auxiliary tank, 1. By reason of such reduction of pressure, it will be understo'od that the liquid fuel in the supply tank, 2, will rise to the auxiliary tank, 1, whence it is permitted to flow by gravity to -the carbureter, 6, of the motor. it Fig. 2 illustrates the details of construction of the auxiliary tank, 1. As explained in my previous application Ser. No. 820,742, it

is necessary that the auxiliary tank convessel, 8, is thus suspended within the vessel, 7 by lodgment of its flange, 8 upon the flange 7, of the vessel, 7, and the parts are secured together in this position by means of a cover, 10, and a clamp ring, 11, connected by bolts, 12, which pass through the flanges, 7 and 8. This construction avoids the difliculties of brazing a partition Wall in a single outer vessel and affords certain other advantages, as hereinafter explained. The cover, 10, is provided with a fuel intake opening connected by the pipe, 13, with the supply tank, 2, as shown in Fig. 1, another opening connected by pipe, 3, with the intake manifold, 4, of the engine, 5, and a third opening fitted with a pipe, 15, communicating with the outer air.v It should be understood that the pipes, 3 and 15, are controlled by valves, 16 and 17, respectively, which are so connected to a lever, 18, that they can only open alternately. When the valve, 16, is open and the valve, 17, is closed, the engine suction is permitted to, effect a reduction of pressure within the vessel, 8, 1 thus causing a flow of fuel through the pipe,

13, into the vessel and causing the float, 19, to rise. The float, 19, is connected, however, by a lever, 20, and link, 21, to an arm, 22 fulcrumed coaxially with the lever, 18, and serving to support one end of a tension spring, 23, whose opposite end is connected to the lever, 18.1;The spring, 23, thus tendinghto fold the members, 18 and 22, toward eac other, either'above or below their fulcrum, serves to resist the rise of the float, 19, since it would cause an unfolding of said members'and the rise of the float is consequently delayed until the buoyant force of the constantly incoming liquid is sufficientto overcome the effect of the spring, 23. The float then rises suddenly to its upper limit of movement, throwing the parts to the positions indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. The pull of the spring, 23, causes sum-- cient upward swing of the lever, 18, to .un-'

seat the air valve, 17, and to seat the valve, 16, thus cutting off the engine suction'and restoring atmospheric pressure within the vessel, 8.. This permits the fuel accumulated in the vessel, 8, to flow downward into the vessel, 7, past the flap valve, 24, and from the vessel, '7, it will flow by gravity through the pipe, 25, to the oarbureter, 6. \Vhen the majority of the fuel has passed from the vessel, 8, to the vessel, 7, the buoyant force being thus removed from the float, 19, the latter will fall to its lower limit which is determined by the engagement of the stop shoulder, 20, with the projecting end-22 of the member, 22, as the latter is folded downward by the weight of. the float acting through the link, 21. To insure the free flow .of the liquid from the vessel, 7, however, it is essential that this chamber havecommunication with the atmosphere at all times, and inthe present construction this is afforded through the annular space, 9, from which a pipe, 26, leads to a T fitting, 27, whose stem, 28, is open to the air. The other arm of the T fitting, 27, is coupled to the pipe, 15, whereby the pipe, 28, serves as a common air vent for 'both chambers as occasion requires.

It will be understood that with the tank, 1, located in the vicinity of the engine, 5, the liquid fuel within it will usually become heated to a temperature higher than that in the supply tank, 2, and will increase in volume. Such increase within the-vessel, 7, is accommodated by the annular space, 9, and pipe, 26, into which the liquid may rise without interfering with the operation of the device. When this expansion of the liquid is due to heat affecting the lower portion of the vessel, 1, such heat is likely to cause more or less volatilization of the fuel in this lower portion of the vessel, but if the liquid has already risen into the pipe, 26, the volatilized portion will tend simply to elevate the liquid portion still further instead of escaping from it in the form of bubbles. It is, therefore, desirable to provide in the pipe, 26, a chamber, 26, having a considerably greater cross section than the pipe, 26, thus affording sufficient area at the surface of the liquid to permit escape of the confined gas in the form of bubbles and prevent any undue rise inthe'level of the liquid from this cause. It will be seen, however, that with the parts located substantially as shown in Fig. 1, the inclination of the vehicle upon a fairly steep grade might cause an overflow of the liquid which had expanded into the pipe, 26, and the air pipe, 28, is, therefore, fitted with a cup, 29, sufficiently large to accommodate any such overflow; But anyliquid thus passed into the cup, 29, will tend to return in part throughthe pipe, 15,='and valve,-17, when the-:latter-is opened, and-will simply pass again through the valve, 24, and into the rea pipe, 30, connecting with the annular" space, 9, but passing through the chamber, 8, and through the cover, 10, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. In this case the cover, 10, is apertured to accommodate the pipe, 30, but leakage at this aperture is prevented by threading the pipe, 30, throughout its extent through the cover and fitting it with clamping nuts, 31. and 32, and packing washers, 33. The T fitting, 27, may then be replaced by an elbow, 34., connected to the,

end of the pipe, 30, and this elbowwith its cup, 29, will then project upward within the circumference of the cover, 10.

Fig. 6 illustrates an even more compact construction in which the outer tank or vessel, 7*, is provided with an applied flange, 7 preferably of heavier material than the body of the tank, and this flange is provided with threaded apertures, 7 to receive the screws, 1.2,by which the head, 10, is clamped in place. Packing washers, 35, are positioned between these parts to render the construction gas-tight. In this construction the vent pipe from the annular space, 9, consists simply of a short tube, 36, fixed-in the flange, 7 and protruding into a recess, 10", in the head, 10. -This recess communicates with a duct, 10, formed in the cast head, 10*, and leading into the space above the valve, 17, thus affording a common'air vent for-the two chambers of the device. Instead of the cup, 29, this air vent may be fitted with a goose neck, 37, of sufiicient length to accommodate a rise of level due to the inclination of the vehicle upon any ordinary grade, and by reason of its shape serving to prevent the entrance of dust or other impurities which might interfere with proper seating of the valve, 17, or which might contaminate the fuel.

I claim 1. In a motor vehicle, a fuel storage tank at one end and an auxiliary fuel tank neaii the other end, means furnishing communication between them, the storage tank being normally lower-than the auxiliary tank but liable to be raised above it by inclination of the vehicle upon a grade, the auxiliary tank having a continuously open air vent, and a cup communicating with said air vent {and positioned above any expected level of the storage tank for receiving the overflow 2. In a motor vehicle, a fuel storage tankand an auxiliary tank communicating therewith, comprising two chambers constructed of two cylindrical vessels concentrically disposed one within the other with an annular space between their walls, the inner vessel being shorter than the outer vessel .to provide a chamber in the lower portion of the latter, means for transferring liquid fuel from the storage tank to the inner vessel, a valve permittin flow of such fuel into the outer vessel, an an air vent leading to the annular space'to permit free flow of the fuel from the outer vessel to the motor.

In amotor vehicle having a fuel storage tank located below the, fuel inlet of the motor, an auxiliary tank positioned above from said other chamber to the motor, a conostantly open air inlet from said other chamber, and a vent pipe extending above both chambers and communicating with their respective air inlets.

4. Ina motor vehicle having a fuel stor-' age tank located below the fuel inlet of the motor, an auxiliary tank positioned above such fuel inlet and comprising two chambers, means for reducing the pressure within one chamber for causing the fuel to flow thereto from the storage tank, an air inlet fol-said chamber and means for intermittently opening said air inlet, a valve permitting flow of the liquid from said chamber to the other chamber, a pipe leading from said other chamber to the motor, a constantly open air inlet from said other chamber, and a vent pipe communicating with the respective air inlets of both chambers and terminating in a cup adapted to receive any overflow of liquid due to temporary elevation of the storage tank.

In testimony whereof Witness my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 29th day of August,

, WEBB J AY. Witnesses:

CHAS. S. BURTON, LUCY I. STONE. 

